A Love Like a Flame
by m3mph1s
Summary: Well I read tons and tons of Zutara fics on this site, I thought I'd try my hand at my own. Hope everyone likes... Rated T for some content. Rating may change in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Katara took a deep breath. With the slightest bit of hesitation, she slid back the screen door to her husband's study. She didn't want to bother him at work, and the mountains of papers and books was evidence enough that he was busy today. "This is important," she thought, "I have to tell him."

"Zuko?" she tried to make her voice as soft as she could.

"Katara, I'm sorry but I'm really busy," he responded curtly.

"I know sweetheart, but this is important. Can you please just take a break?"

Zuko hesitated for a moment, then put his quill down and looked up. His young face was worn from months of tireless work. It had been weeks since he had last held her close Katara thought sadly. Such was the life of the Firelord's wife.

"Honey," she began quietly, trying desperately to keep Zuko calm, "I've just been told something horrible. I..." she broke off. She felt tears building up. Zuko walked over to her.

"What is it Katara? What's wrong? I can take bad news," he told her reassuringly. She doubted it.

"I've just met with the court physicians. They've said... they told me that I'm infertile," she managed to blurt out. She began crying openly, tears stinging at her cheeks.

Zuko was silent several minutes, but Katara was sobbing too hard to notice. Finally he spoke.

"So there's no chance that you will bear an child? There's no way you'll produce an heir?" he asked her, his calm unsettling his grieving wife.

"No Zuko. I'm so sorry, but I love you. I do, I love you so much." She told him pleadingly.

"Get out. Get out now, I can't even look at you right now." He ordered her bluntly.

"Zuko, please don't, please! I love you!"

"GET OUT!" He shouted, flames cackling out of his clenched fists. Instead of frightening her, his anger only seemed to deepen Katara's sorrow. She slumped down and cried hysterically, her hands covering her face.

"Guard, please lead my wife to her room," Zuko ordered. Katara felt a gentle hand grasp her shoulder, and she stood up, head bent low in shame.

"Do you need anything, my lady?" the guard asked gently when Katara had returned to her room.

"No, I'm fine," she responded sadly.

"Are you sure, my lady?"

Katara thought for a moment. "In fact, there is something. Can you prepare a ship for me?"

The guard looked at her with a quizzical look, clearly confused by the request. "I could indeed, my lady. Shall I prepare a royal procession?"

"No, just the ship. I'll be traveling alone," Katara informed him.

Although the guard clearly disagreed with her plan, he left to carry out her request.

Once alone, Katara sat on her bed and closed her eyes. She still loved Zuko deeply, and his distaste in her only served to sadden her more. She thought back on how she had ended up as the Firelady, as the wife of Firelord Zuko.

It was over 6 years ago that the war had ended. She remembered walking out onto the balcony of Iroh's tea shop. She had kissed Aang there, as the sun went down the horizon. She had been happy. She had loved him. They had been together for over a year, and she could imagine living her life with the lighthearted airbender.

Her life always had a way of taking sharp turns.

"I'm sorry Katara, I love you, but I can't be with you. As an airbender, I have a dedication to chastity and poverty. The Air Nomads are gone, and I need to keep their traditions alive as best I can."

"You mean, this is goodbye?" She had never cried harder.

"I told you Katara, I'm sorry. I'll always love you, but it just can't be." He had looked sad, tired, torn.

A few months later, she had been in the Fire Nation. Mai had left Zuko. The reasons were never clear. She didn't want to replace Mai, but Zuko had changed so much. He was happier, he enjoyed life more, he was more passionate.

"Maybe that's why Mai left him," Katara thought with a small smile.

Their marriage was as happy as it was controversial. Some people of the Fire Nation were angry to see the Firelord marry an outsider, a peasant from the Southern Water Tribe according to some. If it hadn't been for Zuko, it might have been too much for her. He had been there, at her side. They had loved each other, and that had been enough.

She could remember how excited he had been at the prospect of an heir to lead his lineage on. He had seen it as a bright new opportunity for a new Royal line, a match between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe. However, several attempts at producing a child had resulted in failure. That had put a strain on their relationship. Zuko began burying himself in his work, and Katara was alone, despite the odd visit from her brother Sokka and his wife Suki, or the even more rare visits from her friend Toph.

"And now I'm here..." Katara thought. She had stopped crying. Her eyes hurt and she was left with an empty feeling. "He still loves me, I know he does."


	2. Chapter 2

Appa grunted with an exasperated sigh as he touched down to the Western Air Temple. Too tired to make it to his stables, he slumped down and began snoring almost immediately. Aang could hardly blame him, and as he dismounted, he felt his limbs sagging and aching with soreness. He had been flying for almost three days straight, meeting with King Kuei and the Council of Five in Ba Sing Se, searching for a party of rebel earthbenders in the Middle Kingdoms, and visiting Sokka and Suki quickly to congratulate them on their new daughter. "Avatar stuff..." he thought drowsily. The sleepless nights and constant movement had left him exhausted and worn out.

"Nite-" he yawned loudly, "Nite Appa."

He shuffled through the ancient hallways of the air temple, wavering slightly from side to side. After tumbling and almost losing consciousness a few times, he finally made it to his bed. He proceeded to fall onto the soft sheets unceremoniously, his eyes no longer willing to stay open. His fatigue caused him to hardly notice Momo climbing onto his shoulder as he let sleep overtake him.

His dreams were sporadic and barely made sense. They roamed from Momo talking to an animated peach about how delicious he looked, to flying on Appa with all of his old friends. As soon as he was beginning to become caught up in the feeling of being with his old friends like it had been in the past, he found himself awake.

He kept his eyes closed, the feeling of sunlight wafting through his open window. Not a single sound penetrated the tranquil stillness of the morning, and he refused to get up and ruin the moment. Traveling around the world was almost worth it if it meant returning to the peace he found at the air temples. He could have lain there all day, but he bolted upright at the sound of a pan clanking against stone. He felt his stomach grumble furiously, realizing that he hadn't eaten since early the previous day, but he was careful to assess the situation first. After mentally confirming that no one should have been in the Western Air Temple at that time, he stalked out of his room, hands held forward in the event of a confrontation. Although there were rebellions and skirmishes throughout the postwar world, Aang had never had a problem with intruders in the temples, "other than that time Chang and Lily showed up with their nomad friends" he thought with an amused smile. Still, the idea of intruders in such a sacred area disturbed him greatly.

After assuring himself that the sounds were coming from a nearby kitchen, he gathered his breath and closed the distance to the door. As he jumped into the doorway, ready to strike, he found himself falling backwards in shock at the sight of Katara. With a loud yelp, he tumbled backwards and fell with a sickening thud. He heard giggles as Katara walked over to him.

"Always knew how to make an entrance, didn't you?" She was smiling at him, clearly on the verge of laughing outright. Her vibrant, deep blue eyes gazed at him. He had almost forgotten how beautiful her eyes were.

Aang felt a mix of emotions. Surprise, joy and confusion all passed through his head, but with a quick look at the situation, he found himself laughing. The two of them laughed for several minutes before finally calming down. Aang gracefully bended himself off of the floor with a gust of wind. "It's so great to see you Katara!" he exclaimed, embracing her tightly. He hadn't seen Katara in six years, and in that time she had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her figure had matured considerably, her curves more developed and her breast size clearly expanded. He shook off the thoughts.

"You too! What, did you grow a foot since I saw you last? And have you been working out?" She teased him, sizing him up. He simply chuckled. Although the situation felt sufficiently awkward for both of them, neither would admit to it, both of them so caught up in the moment of seeing the other after such a long time.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked, letting his confusion play out in his voice.

Katara looked at him sadly, disappointment that he was so quick to question her reasons for having visited, and not happier to simply see her. She shrugged off the feeling, smiling again. "What, a girl can't visit her old friend?"

Aang gazed at her knowingly, aware that she was avoiding the question.

She looked down slightly, feeling uncomfortable that she couldn't open up to Aang. It was a problem she had never had before. "I... I just needed a vacation." She lied weakly. Aang walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Katara, what's wrong? Why isn't Zuko with you?" He was beginning to guess at what had happened.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said in barely more than a whisper. Aang was surprised that Katara, of all people, didn't want to talk about her feelings, but didn't feel right pressing the subject.

"It's alright, don't worry about it, okay?" She looked up at him and nibbled her lower lip uncomfortably. He smiled softly, and she found herself, slightly to her surprise, returning it. "So you were making breakfast?" he asked her, trying to change the subject as his hunger played up again.

"Mhm," she moved back over to the fire pit where she had been cooking bacon and eggs. She slid the food onto a plate and handed it to Aang with a broad smile. Aang stared blankly at the carnivorous meal, then back up at her radiant expectant face, and then back to the meal again. Her smile began vanishing. "Do you want it?" She had never thought of herself as a bad cook.

"It's... it's a little, um, meaty."

She nearly slapped herself for having forgotten that Aang was a vegetarian. "I'm so sorry Aang, I didn't mean to... agh! I'm really so sorry!" She began to scoop the meal out the window.

"Katara, it's okay. It's been almost six years, I probably wouldn't remember either," he told her with a smile. "If I was a meat eater, I would have wolfed that delicious looking meal down," he added, trying to cheer her up. It worked. "Here, I've got some fruit in the cupboard."

Just as he began pulling melons and berries out, he felt something fly into his arm, causing him to jump back in surprise. In alarm, he looked around to find Momo on the counter, furiously grabbing fruits and shoving them into his mouth.

"Well, we had a breakfast." He and Katara both broke out in fits of laughter.

What had been a planned visit for several days had turned into several weeks as Katara found herself unable to leave the peaceful life that existed in the air temple. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving such a calm and relaxed place.

She cleaned the many dusty and dirty areas of the temple and cooked meals for the two of them, but Aang always insisted to aid in the process of both. Most of the time, she found herself gazing out at the beautiful cliff side that surrounded them, or touring the aged halls and gorgeous facades of the ancient temple. Sometimes she simply lay on the ground, near a fountain, the sound of trickling water complimenting the stillness that existed throughout.

It was several weeks after she had first arrived that she walked out on the balcony that Aang meditated on every day.

"Aang?" she breathed quietly.

"Yes Katara?" he responded calmly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," she began to turn away, feeling stupid for having distracted him in the first place when she had no intention of talking. She was about to walk away when she felt a hand grasp her own. The grip was loose and relaxed, but it served to hold her still, and she found herself unable to move. Before he could speak, she turned to face his imploring gray eyes, and without any care of stopping herself, she began frantically spilling out her feelings.

"I'm so sorry I just showed up one day. I know I've stayed longer than I should have, but I'm just so confused! I mean, I love Zuko, but I don't think he wants to see me right now. I didn't want to do it, I didn't have any control over it, it just happened! I mean, I wanted a child as much as, no, probably more than he did. I mean, I'd love to have a young baby, but it just couldn't happen. And now I feel horrible because I've ruined his life, and I've ruined any chance of the royal line continuing. I probably ruined the royal line simply by marrying him, but what could I do, I loved him and he loved me and-"

Aang held a finger to her lips, and he felt her hot tears graze his touch. Not only could he barely follow what she was saying, but he couldn't stand listening to her beat herself up. "Katara, just tell me what's wrong. What happened with you and Zuko?"

She gulped and sniffled, and she knelt down, tears streaking her soft cheeks. "I met with the court physicians in the Fire Nation, because I was wondering if I should begin expecting a child. They told me... they told me that there was no chance... no chance for a child." She stopped, her sobs filling resounding off the stone walls.

"I'm so sorry Katara..."

"What would you care?!" she snapped suddenly, surprising both of them. She wanted to stop herself, but she couldn't stand holding her emotions in. "You didn't even come to the wedding! You've made an effort to visit everyone else! Sokka, Suki, Toph, all of them! You even visit Zuko for to catch up! But you're gone before I even hear that you've arrived! Why weren't you at the wedding Aang? And don't say you had business!! Kuei, Bumi, Anouk, the kings and generals of the Earth Kingdom, they were all there! Why didn't you come? Of everyone, you were the one person I'd hoped would be there, and you were the one person that disappointed me!" Aang was taken aback by her sudden and furious outburst.

"Katara, you know why I wasn't there. It would have been too hard for me. If it means anything, I was happy for you." She looked down again, continuing to sob.

Aang looked at her weeping form, and without a second thought, bent down and grabbed her in a tight hug. After several seconds of registering the action, she wrapped her arms around Aang, putting her face in his shoulder and crying harder than ever. They knelt there for what seemed like an eternity, their arms locked around the other. Katara's sobs were stifled in Aang's robes, and Aang tried to think of something to say. "You know he loves you Katara. You do know that, right?" He heard a muffled and indecisive "umph".

"Katara, I think you may have simply overreacted to the situation. He must be stressed with work and everything that's been going on lately. I mean, rebellions, civil unrest, disagreements with the Earth Kingdom. The news simply caught him at a bad time, and he didn't fully think through his actions and words."

Another "umph".

He lifted her head up and looked at her face-to-face, his gray eyes gazing deeply into her own blue ones. "Hey, come on. Is this any way for a Fire Nation princess to act? What good will pouting do?" She nibbled at her quivering lower lip. "Here, how about this. You take a few more days of vacation, come with me on my trip to Ba Sing Se, relax a little, then head back to the Fire Nation and fix things with Zuko. Deal?"

She looked at him with wide, glassy eyes, her deep blue gaze piercing his own. "I don't deserve a friend like you..."

"Don't say that-"

"No, but it's true," Katara continued. "I don't think anyone else would stick with me and care so much through all this."

"I have something I think I should show you." She simply stared at him as he got up. "It'll cheer you up, I promise."

Aang led a hiccuping Katara over to the bison stables. At first she thought that he was simply going to show her to Appa. However, with a glance at the numerous stables, she gasped stared wide eyed. Before her were at least a dozen baby sky bison, still nursing from a female sky bison, who was snuggling with Appa.

"But, but how?" she asked in disbelief.

"I was traveling with Sokka about a year ago and we found her in a cave in a really secluded mountain pass. She must've been the last of a herd of sky bison that had lived there in safety for all these years. Anyway, you said that there's no chance for you to have a child, but miracles can happen. Here's the proof," he told her, pointing at the happy family. "Miracles do happen, you just have to keep your heart and mind open."

She threw her arms around him. It was the only thing she could think of to thank him for his words of hope and kindness. She began to cry again, but this time tears of joy.


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple days passed in a blur. Both Aang and Katara were able to communicate much easier, as if some invisible wall had been pulled up after Katara's breakdown. It saddened Katara to think that every day led closer to her departure, but she tried to keep her mind on the prospect of a visit to Ba Sing Se with Aang. The Avatar's advice had also given her new hope that she could fix her relationship with Zuko.

Although Katara was excited by the idea of returning to her beloved husband, she had begun questioning herself. She wondered why she had been so eager to come straight to Aang. She could have visited Sokka, Suki or Toph. She could have gone to any of her friends around the world, but she immediately sought out Aang, and the thought that Aang had been wondering the same thing worried her. She loved Zuko, but she had to admit that their relationship had been built around passion. They had been very happy together in the beginning, but the stress Zuko endured as Firelord had in turn put a stress on their marriage. However, despite this, Katara was hopeful that they could work things out and return to the way it had been. After all, Aang had shown her a first-hand account of how possible miracles could be.

They set off for Ba Sing Se early in the morning, just as the sun had begun to rise. As they flew gracefully through the air, Katara stared at the rising sun in a captivated trance, feeling its heat on her skin. The heat reminded her of Zuko, when they had first begun seeing each other. How he had held her close, his fingers warming and relaxing her body. She thought, with an embarrassed smile, about the first time they made love. She had been so enveloped in the heated passion they had shared, his raging heat burning over her like a flame, and her own cool, controlled composure crashing against him like a wave. She shook off the thought, reminding herself sadly that things were different now.

Throughout much of the flight, Katara found herself looking up at the clear blue sky in a daze, the cool wind licking comfortably at her face. She had forgotten how much she loved riding on Appa. The enjoyment of being so high in the sky, so far from the world and its troubles, filled Katara with a free and carefree peace. She guessed that this was how it felt to be an airbender.

Aang looked back at her occasionally, but her expression of pure joy and calmness was too precious for him to ruin with conversation. Instead, he turned to his thoughts. He wondered mostly why Katara had come to see him. Although he was overjoyed to see her again, after more than six years of being apart, he questioned her motives for seeking him out when he had made such an effort to stay away from her. In retrospect he suspected that he had made a bad choice cutting her off like he did. He hadn't wanted to ignore her completely, but leaving her after such a happy relationship had been too hard for him, and the idea of seeing her again nearly made him ache. However, he knew that he had made the right choice. She wouldn't have been happy living in the demanding and lonely life that was being the Avatar. "She's not happy as it is," he reasoned. He ignored the thought. "We weren't meant to be," he decided sadly. A mix of his own obligations to his people and his culture, as well as his stressful life as the Avatar, did not bode well with the idea of a relationship.

"There it is. Ba Sing Se," he stated, rousing both of the from their musings. They arrived to a royal greeting. A representative of Kuei, along with a dozen royal guards, stood poised to welcome his arrival.

"Avatar Aang," the representative boomed loudly as they touched to the ground, "It's good to see you in Ba Sing Se again. I'm afraid the king is not ready to see you, we were expecting you later."

"That's alright," Aang assured kindly, "my friend and I were hoping to see a bit of the city anyways." He jumped down from Appa's head gracefully, and proceeded to help Katara climb down as well. The representative raised his eyebrows slightly at the sight of her.

"Lady Katara, what a surprise! We weren't expecting the wife of the Firelord today. I hope everything is fine in the Fire Nation?"

"Everything is fine. The Fire Nation is flourishing through our mutual alliance and trade. I'm simply here on a visit with the Avatar," she informed him with a smile. Aang was shocked to see how good Katara had become at commanding her presence as royalty.

"So what should we do?" Katara asked excitedly when they were alone.

"I was thinking we could grab a cup of tea at Iroh's shop and catch up a bit with him," Aang suggested. Katara nodded with a smile, and they walked through the crowded streets of the city to the Jasmine Dragon. They found the place extremely busy as usual, but upon seeing Aang and Katara, Iroh excitedly ushered them into a more secluded room on the second floor of his shop.

Aang! And Katara! It's great to see you both! How are you?" Iroh asked while pouring cups of steaming tea for them.

"We're fine, it's great to see you too Iroh," Aang took his own cup, and upon drinking, he was reminded why the called Iroh 'the best teamaker in Ba Sing Se'.

"That's great! How is my nephew Katara? Is the job of Firelord getting to him yet?" he joked.

Aang looked uncomfortably at Katara. He leaned over to Iroh, doing his best to be discrete. "Things are difficult right now for Katara and Zuko. I don't think she wants to talk about it."

Katara heard him easily. "Aang, it's okay. He... He's fine Iroh. Just a little stressed right now, I think." She looked down at her cup of tea sadly.

Iroh looked between the two of them, curious as to why they were keeping so secretive. "What's wrong Katara?" he asked worriedly.

"I just don't think Zuko wants to see me very much right now. He was furious the last time we talked, and... well Aang's right, it's difficult between us right now."

Iroh chuckled to himself. "Katara, I know my nephew can be hotheaded at times, but I think you simply caught him on a bad day. I'm sure he loves you as much as he always has." He nonchalantly took a sip of tea. "If he didn't, why would he send you away?" he asked, smiling at her.

Katara felt as if she had been slapped in the face. With a snort of disgust, she pushed herself furiously to her feet and stormed from the room. Aang looked in shock at Iroh. "Wait, that came out wrong..." Iroh stated lamely.

"Uhh, sorry about all this Iroh, it was great to see you!" Aang called as he bolted out the door after Katara.

He found her outside, walking away angrily in no particular direction.

"Katara, wait. Stop this. I think you're taking this all a little too seriously. You know Iroh didn't mean that."

"I don't care! He could have been a little more sensitive about it!" she shouted angrily. "I mean, he should know it's hard for me right now!"

"Katara, I'm really sorry things are going badly right now, but you really need to calm down," he told her soothingly, trying to calm her from her rage.

"Aang, you have no idea what everything is like right now! You have no idea what my life has been like! It's always suffering, always loss, and I can't stand it anymore!" she ranted on. "You have no clue what it's like to suffer like that!" However, just as those words left her mouth, she realized she had gone too far.

Aang stared at her and laughed, but in a bitter and furious tone she had never heard out of him. "I have no idea? Really Katara? Do you have any idea what it's like to fall asleep one day, and wake up the next morning to find out everyone you knew had died? Everyone you loved, everyone you cared about, gone! Do you have any fathom what it's like to feel loss of that scale? Don't you ever say I don't understand suffering! You're not the only one that's suffered in their life. Most people have it a lot worse than either of us can imagine, but they don't carry their problems around and wallow in self-pity like you do!" A large crowd of people had stopped to watch their argument, but Aang didn't care. He was too furious to think about anything.

Katara stared blankly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She had never seen Aang so angry before, and all she could think was that she had caused it. "Aang..." she whispered, "Aang, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

Her pleads fell on deaf ears, Aang was already walking away.

"Aang!" she called after him, wanting nothing more than to take the whole argument back. Nothing more than to grab him and hug him and absorb his pain, his rage.

"You can find a ship to the Fire Nation on the coast. Goodbye Katara," he called back without any emotion.

"No, no please no," she slumped to the ground and cried.

* * *

Several days later, Katara arrived at the Fire Nation capitol city. The guards issued her into the palace respectfully, though she could see some of them were surprised, even unnerved, by her return. She dismissed the feeling.

"The Firelord is in the middle of an important meeting, my lady," one guard informed her.

"That is quite alright, I'm his wife, it shouldn't bother him to see me." The guard looked as if he wanted to stop her, but allowed her to enter the royal court. Upon entering, she saw a sight that both shocked and outraged her. Zuko was sitting on the ground with Mai, the two of them laughing. Zuko's arm was wrapped around Mai's shoulder, and they were holding hands. Katara stood still in shock, making it several moments before Zuko realized that she had entered the room. He jumped to his feet quickly, looking extremely embarrased.

"Katara! I wasn't expecting you home so soon. I sent you a letter, I assume you didn't get it," he deduced from her furious expression.

"A letter? Was that how you were going to leave me? A letter!" she yelled in outrage.

"If it makes you feel any better, he did the same thing to me one time," Mai informed dryly.

"No Mai, it doesn't make me feel better. But thank you," she added with obvious sarcasm. "I can't believe you Zuko..." tears began in her eyes, a feeling that was all too familiar to her. Zuko started over to her, his hand outreached.

"Don't touch me," she said coldly. "Don't you dare. I can't believe you would do this to me, your wife! I hate you Zuko." With that she turned and marched out of the room. She felt his hand grab her arm. She bended a whip of water from a nearby fountain, slapping him across the face with it, producing a loud crack.

"We're through Zuko. It's over." She left without a single glance back.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean he's not here?!"

It had only been a short time since Katara's _revealing_ trip to the Fire Nation, and although she was still struggling emotionally, she was not above losing her temper to the Earth King. Kuei tried his best to calm the furious waterbender, to no avail.

"I'm sorry Katara, Avatar Aang left only a few days ago for the Middle Kingdom. Earthbender rebels have seized several important towns, and we needed Aang's help to restore order," Kuei informed her.

Katara took a deep breath and tried to relax. "Is there anyone who can take me to him?" she asked after several seconds.

Kuei nodded and motioned for an attendant. He whispered something in his ear, and the attendant ran off. Kuei turned back to Katara. "I've arranged for a guide who can take you to Aang," Kuei explained. "Be careful."

The ride to the Middle Kingdom was long and uncomfortable. Katara had never ridden an ostrich horse before, and the experience was not one she wanted to ever try again. The animal's constant bobbing hurt her thighs, and when she finally dismounted, her whole body ached.

"We're at least a mile back from the front line, my lady," the guide informed.

"Is Aang at the front line?" Katara asked, beginning to worry. The guide nodded. "Then that's where we're going," Katara informed stubbornly.

"With all due respect, my lady, the Earth King told me to keep you safe. The front line has been under constant attack for several days now. I wouldn't advise going there."

Katara glared at the guide, and her temper began rising. "I don't care. If that's where Aang is, that's where I'm going. If Kuei told you to keep me safe, then you can come along, but I don't need you or the Earth King's permission to go to the front line!" The guide flinched under her intense ferocity. Katara started off in the direction of the front line with the guide reluctantly following in tail.

When they finally reached the front line, they were greeted by a scene of rejoicing soldiers, many of them heavily drunk. Katara shot an annoyed glance at the paranoid guide. She grabbed one soldier by the arm. "Why is everyone celebrating?" she asked impatiently.

"Haven't you heard? We won!" He exclaimed joyfully.

"That's great. Have you seen Aang?"

"The Avatar? I think I heard that he was heading back to Ba Sing Se."

Katara sighed, trying not to lose her temper. She turned back to the guide. "Well, you heard the soldier. We're going back to Ba Sing Se."

"But we just came from there!" the guide whined. Shaking her head, Katara mounted her ostrich horse and snapped the reigns. With a start, the animal rushed back to the Earth Kingdom Capitol.

"I'm delighted to hear the news, Avatar Aang. Finally we can experience the feeling of peace in the Earth Kingdom. My thanks, and the thanks of the people in the Earth Kingdom are extended to you for your selfless service," Kuei expressed happily.

Aang bowed respectfully to Kuei's praise. "I was happy to do my part in restoring balance. I only hope it's a very long time before I'm required to fight in any part of the world."

"As do I," Kuei nodded. "The important thing to remember is now that we have peace, we can work to celebrate and rebuild. Speaking of celebrating..." Kuei produced a piece of parchment from his robes. "I am hosting a ball in the Palace in honor of our victory, and in the promise of peace." Aang sighed, realizing where Kuei was going with the conversation.

"I understand that as the Avatar, you are very busy, but I was hoping that as the hero of the battle, you would attend. Also, I'm sure there are several ladies who would love a chance to meet you," Kuei added with a mischievous smile.

Although it was far from his idea of a good time, Aang folded at the sight of Kuei's expectant face. "I would be honored to accept your invitation." Kuei clasped his hands together excitedly.

"Excellent! I will send a formal invitation to your home soon."

Aang bowed again and turned to leave. As he walked through the lavish halls of the Earth King's palace, a quiet voice in the back of his head wondered how Katara was doing.

Katara searched for the better part of the afternoon for Aang, but was unable to find him in the maze of streets that was Ba Sing Se. She had hoped to find him with Kuei's help, but she had been told that the Earth King was in an important meeting and couldn't be disturbed. Her ensuing frustration and nagging had caused an intimidated attendant to show her Aang's residence for his time in the city.

No one had been home when she arrived, so she lay down outside, her back propped up against a boulder, staring at the night sky. In the time since she had left Zuko, she had made an effort to push all thoughts on the unhappy subject from her mind. However, sitting outside with the cool night air kissing at her face and the damp grass beneath her, she found it hard to ignore the thoughts anymore. She had only one real question about it.

"Why?" she thought sadly. "Why would he leave me?"

She knew that he had been disappointed after hearing the news that she was infertile, but she had hoped Zuko loved her enough to work it out. She hadn't expected him to do what he did. And the very fact that he had left her for Mai filled Katara with anger. She couldn't understand why she had come back after leaving Zuko. Thinking more and more about it, Katara only felt her temper rise even more. It wasn't even simply the fact that Zuko had left her after almost six years of marriage. It was the way he had done it. That he was prepared to end it with a simple letter... She wasn't even going to go there.

As Katara sat in the moonlight, she realized that she had never before felt so used and unattractive in her life. She had never felt so unwanted. Not only had her husband left her, but her first love, the man who she had once been prepared to live the rest of her life with, was furious with her, and from her point of view it was all her fault. In the deepening dark, she felt more alone than ever before.

Nearly an hour later, Aang walked along the lonely path that led to his lavish Earth Kingdom residence. That was all it was to Aang. He couldn't call it home. He never felt at home in elitist housing. The Air Temples would always be his home.

He moved by Katara's resting form, not noticing her in the deep dark of night. As such, he was fully surprised to hear his name being called from behind him. He whipped around to see Katara standing on the path. He sighed.

"What are you doing here Katara? Why didn't you return to Zuko."

She looked at his angry expression sadly, wishing that she could fix the rift between them. She wanted nothing more than to run forward, hug him, and exclaim how glad she was to have a friend like him. His penetrating stare stopped her. "I did. He... well I... I'm not exactly sure how to say it."

"Just say it," Aang advised bluntly. She hoped his lack of compassion was only temporary.

"He left me." Aang's cold stare disappeared almost immediately, replaced by an imploring look of utmost worry and care. "For Mai," Katara added.

"But, I thought she had left him," Aang breathed quietly.

"So did I."

Aang was at a loss for words. He managed to get out, "Well then, I mean, what does that mean?"

"It means he's left me, and I have no one now," Katara confirmed sadly. She would have cried if she could. She felt as if she had cried every tear from her body in the last couple of weeks. "You know, I don't know what I'm doing here, I should g-"

She was cut off as Aang grabbed her in a tight embrace. He held her there for several minutes, afraid to let go. Despite all of the confusion, all of the hard feelings, he couldn't lose Katara. She meant too much to him. A stray tear ran the course of his narrow cheek.

For Katara, words were unnecessary. Every emotion of love and compassion and friendship was transferred through their hug. Any notion of hard feelings or past arguments were forgotten. After standing together for what felt like hours, they parted. A feeling of embarrassment passed between them, and Katara smiled despite herself. She couldn't resist feeling anything but complete joy at the prospect of having her best friend back.

Aang was the first to break the silence. "I'm so sorry Katara. We both said some things, and I promise I didn't mean a word of it."

"I know. I realize I said some pretty awful things too, but please forgive me Aang. You don't understand how sorry I am."

"It's okay, as long as everything is okay with you."

She thought deeply about that. Although Zuko had just left her, somehow she hardly cared. She couldn't care about anything in the world. All she could think about was that Aang had forgiven her.

She nodded. "Everything is okay with me, Aang," she managed to choke out a laugh. A gust of wind reminded them both that they were still standing outside in the middle of the night.

"Do you want to come in?" Aang asked with a smile, playing on their mutual realization.

Katara returned the smile with a "yes."

As they entered the house, a second wind blew through, onwards and upwards, dispersing into the sky, and along with it, the forgotten argument.


	5. Chapter 5

Katara woke to the peaceful sound of birds chirping. She lay still, relaxed and at peace. Although things had been difficult recently, she was now living with her best friend in the world. It took her several moments of relaxed calm to register that on her lap was a full breakfast-in-bed spread. Confused at first, she then laughed, realizing that it had been Aang's doing. Even more touching however, was the thought that he had woken up early before her to prepare the meal for her.

She picked up a piece of golden toast and took a bite. The buttery bread nearly melted in her mouth and she hummed contently at its delicious taste. She wouldn't have guessed that Aang was an accomplished cook. She lay in bed for several minutes eating the breakfast before her. Although she ate more than enough to satisfy her hunger, she realized that she had barely eaten a third of the enormous meal. She smiled at the thought that Aang had prepared such an enormous feast just for her. Getting up, she searched the house to thank the cook himself. She found him on the side porch, cross legged, meditating peacefully. Not wanting to disturb him, she slid silently back inside. Looking for a bit of fresh air for herself, she stepped out the front door, drinking in the soft, warm sunlight. She was about to go back inside when she noticed a letter bearing the Earth King's seal tied to the door.

Curiosity overtaking her, she unfurled the letter. She read the message over quickly, and was overjoyed to see that it was an invitation to a ball at the Palace. The last line interested her the most. "The Avatar may bring a companion if he wishes." Unable to quell her joy, she squealed with giddy excitement. She rushed back inside and placed the letter on the table. Aang entered the room several minutes later to an expectant Katara. She gazed at him with a joyful, expectant smile.

"Uhh, yeah?" he offered with confusion. She nodded at the letter, her smile broadening.

Amused by her gleeful vibes, he picked up the letter. He read silently for a few seconds, then comically put his index finger to his lip as if deep in thought.

"What?" a laughing Katara asked.

Aang laughed with her. "Would you like to go to the ball with me, Katara?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Ohh yes! I'd love to Aang!" Katara ran over and threw her arms around him joyfully.

"Wait, the ball is tonite!" she thought out loud. "I have to go buy a dress. I'll be back later, Aang." With that, Katara bolted out of the house excitedly. Aang laughed to himself, as happy and excited as Katara with the idea of going to the ball together. However, as silence filled the house, he began to think. He wasn't sure he was ready to enter a relationship with Katara again. A relationship entailed many things that Aang felt unprepared for. He had also made a self promise to keep his culture alive by living a chaste life. Feeling that he was worrying needlessly about something that was meant to be a fun night, he pushed the thought from his mind.

After all, what could happen at something as innocent as a dance?

* * *

Katara arrived back at the house several hours later, but had insisted that Aang was not allowed to see the dress she had bought.

"I want it to be a surprise," she teased playfully. Aang decided didn't mind waiting a little while longer.

As they prepared to leave, Aang waited near the door, already dressed in his monk's robes.

"Are you ready yet?" he called out, growing tired of waiting.

Her head shot out from her room, giving him a penetrating stare. He gave her a feigned look of being exasperated. She smiled and darted back in. "I'll be out in a minute," came her curt reply. "This kind of thing takes a while. You have no idea what it's like to have to manage hair!" she teased. Aang laughed at the truth of the statement.

Several moments later, Katara stepped out into the hall. She absolutely radiated beauty. Her hair was let down down, curling slightly at her shoulders, and sporting two thin loopies from the crown of her head. She wore a dress of deep blue with a silver embroidery of flowers. Aang was happy to see that she had no make-up on. It would only take away from her striking natural beauty, he thought.

"Wow, you look amazing Katara," he said blankly. She smiled and felt herself blush.

"Shall we go then?" she asked, holding out her arm. Aang nodded and slid his arm through hers.

They walked happily to the palace, both of their hearts beating faster than normal, but it didn't seem to bother either of them. All they needed was to look into the others eyes and to hold each other close. When they arrived at the Palace gate, they were ushered in, greeted by "oohs" and "ahhs", as well as an army of pointed fingers and hushed whispers of "Look, its the Avatar!" and "Is that Lady Katara, wife of Firelord Zuko?"

Katara was able to hear the careless gossip, and began nibbling at her lower lip uncomfortably. Aang noticed and pulled her closer. "Don't worry about them," he reassured her. "Tonight is just you and me," he added with a heartwarming smile. She looked at him and couldn't help but smile. As they entered the ballroom, they were greeted by a blast of noise. The sounds of a party echoed in a torrent resounded throughout the massive hall.

Kuei was busy in conversation with a group of politicians when he saw Aang and Katara. He rushed over to them.

"Avatar Aang! I'm so glad you could make it. And you as well Katara!" His face lit up with an overjoyed beam. Aang was about to speak when one of the politicians called Kuei's name irritably. Giving a melodramatic frown to Aang and Katara, he began walking back to the group. "Please enjoy yourselves tonight, and be sure to dance!" he called over his shoulder quickly.

Once he had gone, Aang turned to Katara. She looked at him with an expectant smile. "Would you like to dance Katara?" he asked smoothly. She nodded happily, and he grabbed her hand, leading her to the dance floor. The song that began playing as they assumed their positions had a fast-paced, upbeat rhythm, and as such, Katara and Aang moved in a myriad of quick, expressive steps. By the end of the first song, they were both panting heavily and smiling at each other.

"Can I get you a drink?" Aang asked breathlessly.

"That would be great," Katara responded through pants. As she moved to sit down at one of the many tables dotting the room, and Aang walked over to the bar. "Two watermelon juices, please," he ordered. Hearing his voice, a beautiful girl with dark brown hair turned to look at him with an expression of surprise and delight. Aang glanced at her, then realizing that she was staring, looked at her again.

"Do I, uhh, know you?" he asked uncomfortably.

"It's me, Onji! Wow, you really grew up, didn't you Kuzon. Or should I be calling you Avatar now?"

Aang's face erupted in a joyous smile. "Onji! It's so great to see you. Wow, you've really grown up, too!" He embraced her in a friendly hug. "Oh, and Aang is fine."

"Well, _Aang_, what are you doing here? Shouldn't the Avatar be traveling the world, ending disputes and keeping peace?" she teased playfully.

"Well, I was just helping the Earth Kingdom restore peace in the Middle Kingdoms, and the Earth King invited me to stay a bit longer and attend this ball," Aang informed. "So why are _you_ here?" he asked, slightly confused that a girl from the Fire Nation was at the Palace of the Earth King.

"Well, my dad is a really famous architect, and after the war ended he wanted to do his best to help rebuild, so we traveled to the Earth Kingdom and started living in Ba Sing Se."

"Wow, your dad must be pretty good to get invited to a ball thrown by the Earth King," Aang speculated. Onji smiled sweetly.

"So Aang, are you here alone?" Onji asked with a hint of nervousness.

Aang caught the vibe she was sending. "Well, I'm here with my friend, she's somewhere over there." At the mention that his friend was a girl, Onji's face dropped slightly. Aang looked at her sympathetically. "Hey, how about a dance," he offered with a smile. Her face lit up and she took his hand, heading to the dance floor.

Aang could tell that Onji was still very new to dancing. In an effort to work with her inexperience, he held her closer, guiding her through the steps. During a fast beat, he would twirl her, moving with her in a series of quick movements. During the slower pieces, he would waltz with her gracefully, his feet leading hers backwards and forwards.

At first Onji was blushing furiously, but as the dance continued, her embarrassment slowly dissipated, and she looked at Aang with her eyes half closed, almost in a trance.

Katara sat for several minutes without seeing Aang before going over to the bar to look for him. Not seeing him, she scanned the room. She was about to check outside when she spotted him dancing with an attractive girl who looked to be about his age. Katara vaguely recognized her face and her chestnut hair, feeling like she had seen the girl before. She shrugged off the thought. All she knew was that seeing Aang dancing with her filled Katara with anger.

She felt bad for being jealous of Aang dancing with another girl. After all, they were just dancing. However, she couldn't help but feel rage. "Aang invited me to the dance, not her," Katara thought angrily.

"Excuse me," came an unfamiliar voice from behind her.

Katara turned around quickly, jolted from her thoughts. She found herself looking at a tall, tan young man with dark brown hair. He was looking at her expectantly, his hand outstretched. "I was wondering if you would care to dance."

She thought about it for a moment, but after seeing Aang dancing with another girl, she agreed. The next song that played was a fast tune with a heavy drum beat. Without even thinking, Katara pulled herself close to the man, her every movement putting her practically on top of him. She didn't even know his name, but her anger and jealousy over Aang caused her to sensually move with the man, her hips coaxing him closer to her. As the dance continued and Katara's movements became increasingly seductive, the man's eyes widened with arousal.

Katara would normally not have engaged in such a vengeful act with a total stranger, but her anger at Zuko coupled with the feeling of losing Aang caused her to throw all her inhibitions to the wind and get caught up in the passion of the moment, her heartbeat mirroring the quickness of the drumbeat. As the song drew to a close, her realization kicked in, and she suddenly felt terrible. After a quick look around, she saw Aang looking right at her, his face displaying utter confusion, his mouth slightly open.

"So, umm..." the man started. She turned him, his face displaying a slight grin.

"I'm sorry," she told him, running from the ballroom with tears in her eyes. She ran as fast as she could, confused, angry and embarrassed by the events that had occurred, until she was on the balcony, the cool night air kissing at her face. She leaned against the guardrail, crying into her hands.

Aang walked out several moments later, and seeing her weeping form, moved over to comfort her. However, as he tried to put an arm around her, she scooted away.

"What's wrong?" he asked her gently. She kept crying. "Please Katara, I don't want to see you cry."

"Then why would you invite me to this ball, if you were only going to go off with some other girl?" she snapped. "I thought we were came to this together! I thought you cared about me!"

Aang tried to ignore how horrible her hurt tone made him feel. "Katara, that was just Onji. She was that girl from the Fire Nation. Remember? All those years ago, when we were going undercover there?"

She kept sobbing, but she was quieter. She knew Aang didn't want to hurt her, and she knew he cared, but she wanted to hear it from his mouth.

"Remember the dance party we threw?" he continued. "I asked you to dance with me, you said your shoes weren't good for dancing," he remembered with a laugh. He heard what sounded like a watery chuckle from her.

"When we danced, everyone stopped to watch. It was just us, two kids dancing without a care or worry in the world," Aang reminisced. Katara's head rose from her lap, sniffling a bit, and she gazed at Aang, now captivated by his every word. "We moved so well together, it felt so natural, almost like it was meant to be." Katara stopped crying altogether. "When the dance was over, you stayed in my arms, and we just gazed into each others eyes."

"Then we had to run because of that Fire Nation principal. But when we were in the air, you told me that I had thrown a great party." Katara moved a bit closer to Aang. He noticed the subtle movement out of the corner of his eye. "And then you leaned over, and you kissed me..."

With that, Katara threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. His shocked expression disappeared into the kiss, and he retreated back to press another kiss to her lips. Her open mouth greeted his own, and their tongues moved against each other in quick thrusts.

Feeling slightly exposed on the balcony, Aang gracefully bended the two of them down onto the dark, moonlit gardens below them with a gust of wind.

Katara giggled at the sensation of floating through the air. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she resumed the kiss. She pressed her lips to his in an effort to be with him, to be as close as she could to him. Aang wrapped his arm around her, pressing her toward a nearby tree. She coaxed him closer with her hips, her hands feeling up and down the muscles on his chest. His mouth trailed from hers down her cheek, planting soft kisses along the length of her neck. She emitted a soft groan of pleasure and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. He lifted her off the ground, and his hands trailed down her back. She pulled his hands up to the back of her neck, coaxing him to undo the tie there that held her dress together.

Aang stopped kissing her. Fearing that she had moved to far too quickly, she asked uncertainly, "What's wrong?"

He looked into her blue eyes, and she stared back into his. "I think I love you," he declared in almost a whisper.

Her face showed her relief. "I love you too," she told him without reservation. She moved in to kiss him again, which he returned, but then he pulled back to look at her again. She gave him a frusterated look.

"I'm sorry Katara, it's just I feel like this is too fast. I love you and I want to be with you, but I think we should wait before we do _that_." Her frown changed to an unreadable expression. "What do you think?"

She nibbled at her lip slightly. "I think you're right Aang," she admitted. She slid down to the ground, and they engaged in one last loving kiss. When they pulled apart, they stood rooted to the spot.

"We should get back," Aang said absentmindedly.

Katara thought about it. "I don't know," she said. "How about we just stay here and watch the stars?"

Aang smiled at the idea and nodded, and the two of them lay down onto the soft grass below. Aang wrapped his arm around her, and she clasped her hand in his across his chest. Together they gazed up at the expanse of sky above them.

They lay in silence for what seemed like hours, simply enjoying the others company, until the sounds of the party occurring above them began to dim.

"Sounds like the party's almost over," Aang pointed out. Katara simply purred in agreement, her eyes closed and her face radiating bliss.

"Hey," he laughed, nudging her slightly. She turned to face him. "Just a few more minutes?" Her beautiful eyes gazing at him imploringly.

"Come on," he said, helping her to her feet, and the two of them walked hand in hand back to the ballroom.

"Hey Aang?" He glanced over. "I had a great time," Katara told him with a kiss on the cheek.


End file.
